The Death of a Dreamer
by Autobot Trapjaw
Summary: Oneshot for Autobotschic ; Shadow Stalker loses her son in a hunt for the Decepticons. Rated T for brief robotic suffering and death.


The Death of a Dreamer

A/N: Well, I don't know how well this turned out, but it's all I got. This is a little something for Autobotschic. I stole the title from her, so I figured I'd at least give her some recognition. I do not own _Imagine_ by John Lennon, nor the lyrics. Same applies with Toys 'R' Us. Sideswipe, Optimus, Bluestreak, Slipstream, and Dreadwing belong to Hasbro, Marshall and Trapjaw belong to me, and Shadow Stalker belongs to Autobotschic.

* * *

The Decepticons apparently hadn't all left Earth peacefully after the fall of Megatron and Sentinel. Most had formed small armies together in attempt to avenge the Decepticon name. In response to this, the Autobot anti-Decepticon teams were revived from retirement. Shadow Stalker was especially excited to be back in the hunt. She could never go long without a good fight, especially when it was with the 'Cons.

It was November. A number of 'Cons were detected out in Maine; Optimus had Echo Team deployed to hunt them. Shadow Stalker was practically jumping out of her frame the whole ride there. Sideswipe sat across from her on the plane and couldn't help but smirk. She always made him feel better when Sunny wasn't with him.

"Ready to bring the rain, Shade?" he asked, his arms crossed with a smug grin. Shadow looked at him with the same look as a child in a Toys 'R' Us.

"Oh frag, yes, child. How could I not be? This is the most excited I've been for months!" she replied. "I hope I get a two-on-one fight with a couple of 'em."

"Can you handle that on your own?"

"Can you?"

Sideswipe smiled and leaned against the wall of the cargo plane before getting some shut-eye. The two of them would find out once they got to the fight.

It didn't take long for Echo Team to find the stray Decepticons after they were dropped off. In about a half hour, they had found their targets. Sideswipe looked to Shadow and nodded when she looked back at him.

'_Strike first,'_ she mouthed. He nodded.

'_Strike fast.'_

'_Strike hard.' _Sideswipe nodded once more before the team began the fight. Unfortunately, Primus wasn't on their side long.

Shadow Stalker was occupied with fighting off Slipstream and Dreadwing when Sideswipe's horrendous screams reached her audios. With a forceful swing of her arm, she sent Dreadwing crashing into Slipstream, sending the two in a downward spin into the earth before she broke out into a sprint. With each scream, Shadow ran faster toward him. The sound of his voice screaming her name pushed her past her fastest speed, but even then, it was too late. She had reached a cliff, and far below, she watched as a few 'Cons pulled him by the servos in opposite directions. She watched as his limbs gave in to the opposite forces, his right arm leaving his chest. Shadow gasped as she watched. All she could do was watch as they slowly and carefully tortured Sideswipe to his death.

That was until her processor snapped.

She scaled down the face of the cliff as they continued to mercilessly torture Sides, his Energon staining their own bodies as they laughed.

That was the last thing they did.

Pushing their frames away with her pede, Shadow knelt down to Sideswipe's side. He was on the verge of death – she could see it in his optics. His frame had turned an abnormal shade of grey

"H-hey, Shade," Sideswipe whispered with a shaky voice. The mech coughed, but had no servo to cover his mouth with. Energon pooled in his mouth, and he did his best to spit it out.

"Hey, Sides. How ya doin', pal?" Shadow asked in reply with a sad smirk. The two of them both knew he would never survive just from the loss of fluids alone.

"Been better…"

"Haven't we all?" She replied, a sad smile taking form on her faceplates. Sideswipe looked up at her with an identical look.

"Shadow, I'm gonna die, aren't I?" he asked. Shadow was taken aback by the bluntness of his comment. "Answer me, Shade. Honestly."

"…. Yes, Sides. And I'm gonna make sure you aren't alone when you do. I already did that once… I can't let that happen again."

"It wasn't your fault, you know, Shade."

"Yes it was, Sides. I should've gotten to you sooner. None of this would have happened if-."

"I didn't mean with me… It wasn't your fault, Shadow. There was nothing we could have done, any of us, to save Trapjaw… It was what she wanted."

"But it wasn't what I wanted! I wanted to have my sister around to talk with, to fight with, to mess around with, and to be there when I needed her! I was there every other time she needed me except the one time it mattered most…" she sniffled and wiped her faceplates of the tears that had developed.

"Shadow, sometimes… sometimes we… we can't do anything but let life… happen. Nothing lasts…"

His optics flickered as loss of Energon began to take effect.

"Shadow… I need to tell you s-something."

Shadow leaned in towards him. His voice was nothing more than a whisper. "I'm listening, Sideswipe."

"I love you, Shadow… I a-always have. You were the closest thing Sunny and I were ever going to have as a Carrier, and we love you for taking care of us. Th-thank you, Mom."

Shadow looked at the dying mech with tears sliding down her faceplates. She took his hand in hers and held it tightly.

"Sideswipe… I love you, too."

"Y-you do?"

"Of course I do, you dip. The two of you are just as much my sparklings as White Noise is. I love you, Sideswipe, and no matter what, there will always be a special place in my spark for you."

Sideswipe grinned slightly. "Shade?"

"Y-yes, Sides?"

"Don't beat yourself up over this. It's just what was meant to be. And, will you promise m-me something, Shadow?"

"Anything, Sides. What is it?"

"Tell Sunny that I love him…"

"Only if you tell Trapjaw I said the same."

"I can do that for you."

"Then I can, too." She smiled sadly and held his hand tighter. "I'll miss you, kiddo – more than you'll ever know."

"I'll miss you more," he replied with a smile with Energon-covered denta. "Thank you, Shadow… Thanks for everything."

His voice fell silent. His optics faded out. His frame turned a gun-metal grey and fell cold. His arm went limp in her grasp. He was gone.

"Goodbye, Son…"

The passengers were silent during the ride home. The only thing they could think about was their lost comrade. The casket sat in the aisle of the cargo plane. Shadow sat and looked at the whole ride. In that silence, something snapped in her processor.

"Imagine there's no heaven… It's easy if you try. No hell below us… above us, only sky."

Everyone looked up to her as her voice reached their audios. They were all shocked to hear these words come from the femme who loved battle most.

"Imagine all the people... living for today, ah-ahh-ahhhh…. Imagine there's no countries… It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for. No religion, too."

"Imagine all the people… Living life in peace, and you-ou-ououou," Bluestreak joined in. Everyone looked to the two vocalists.

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one…" the rest of the Autobots sang. They began to descend down to base.

Optimus and Marshall stood side by side as they watched the cargo plane land. They knew what had happened to Sideswipe. He had to be strapped down to a berth while he flailed around in pain while his twin suffered it firsthand.

The hatch opened. What they were met with was a shock.

Shadow, Blue, and a few others carried the casket. Everyone else walked behind it.

"Imagine no possessions… I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger… a brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people… sharing all the world. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one."


End file.
